What does it mean to follow Jesus? As we continue our study in John’s gospel, we find a clear clue!

He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they come and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

John 1:39

John the Baptist had highlighted Jesus as God’s Lamb. His two disciples left him “and they followed Jesus” (John 1:36-37). As they were following, Jesus asked: “What are you seeking?” They responded: “Where are you staying?” Jesus didn’t give many specifics; He said: “Come and you will see.”

     Following Jesus is a walk by faith and not by sight. He doesn’t disclose much. Yet, there is no greater certainty in life than following Him—all other ground is sinking sand. While we may not know the way, we know the Person.

     It’s ultimately a matter of Whom and not what—who He is and not what He can provide. Later on many would desert Him. Jesus asked the Twelve: “Do you want to go as well?” Peter responded: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:66-68).

     When our goal is to be with Jesus, we’ll never be disappointed. However, when we want to know all the specifics of our life, there’ll be inevitable disappointment because He doesn’t reveal that and following Him is mostly through the more difficult roads.

Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
Author of “A Glorious Sacrifice“

P.S. Coming soon: “Battling Sexual Temptations and Sins: Overcoming through God’s Word and Spirit.” For more info go to www.devotionalwriter.com

Question: would you like to preview “Battling Sexual Temptations and Sins“? There are 40 short devotionals, encouraging and equipping you to arm yourself with God’s Word and Spirit in this important battle.

     Just email me and I will send you a copy of the book. My request (yes, there is a small string attached) is that you will write an honest review of the book on Amazon when it goes live (probably at the end of this month or the beginning of September). A review only takes a few minutes of your time and is a great blessing for me.

     As we continue in John’s gospel, we’ve come to a vital question: What are you seeking? Are you seeking Jesus for who He is or for what He can provide?

Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”

John 1:38-39

It may have been the first time that Jesus asked the reason why people were following Him, but it was certainly not the last time. Later on He would say to those who followed Him: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” (John 6:26).

     One of the two disciples was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. Their response was: “Rabbi . . . where are you staying?” It seemed that they were truly following Jesus for who He was, while the ones in the sixth chapter for what He could provide. He asked “what” and they responded with “you.”

     What are we seeking from Jesus? Are we seeking what He can give or do, or who He is? While the “giving” and “doing” are an integral part of who He is, He should be the main pursuit. When our reason for following Him is based on what He can give or do, we can easily become disappointed—not providing the healing we plead for or not do other things we consider important. On the other hand, when we seek Him for who He is, whatever He may give or do, we’ll never be disappointed.

Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer

It seems that yesterday’s post didn’t go out through MailChimp. It’s worth the read: http://thegloryofchrist.com/the-lamb-of-god/ Here’s the one for today. What’s the measure of a true Christian leader?

The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

John 1:37

John’s mission and mandate was “to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him” (John 1:7). His main message was to point to “the Lamb of God.” That’s also our main message. When John’s disciples heard him talk about Jesus, highlight Him as God’s Lamb, they left John and followed Jesus.

     What would be the opposite? Sects and sectarian tendencies try to pull its hearers to themselves. They like to emphasize that the truth is really (and only) found with them, discouraging the adherents from other real and legitimate Christian churches.

     Whenever a Christian leader tries to attract and keep the hearers to himself, he’s lost the Biblical mandate, which is to always point to Jesus and follow Him. John had no problem with his disciples leaving him as long as they were following Jesus. Isn’t that the test of a true Christian leader?

Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer

P.S. Coming soon: “Battling Sexual Temptations and Sins: Overcoming through God’s Word and Spirit.” You can find out more right here: www.devotionalwriter.com

What was John the Baptist’s main message? What was John the Apostle’s main message? What was Paul’s main message? What should be our main message?

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

John 1:35-36

John the Baptist “came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.” What did his witness consist of? His main message was that Jesus is “the Lamb of God.” The Father sent His Son to live a perfect righteous life—to be our unblemished, spotless Lamb—and then He offered Him as our sacrifice: “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief” (Isa. 53:10).

     In Acts we read: “For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:27-28). God offered His Son as our Lamb.

     Paul emphasized that which is “as of first importance”—the gospel. He wrote to the Corinthians: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures . . .”  (1 Cor. 15:3-4). That was his most important message throughout his ministry.

     The reality of Jesus as God’s Lamb is everlasting. In revelation we read: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev. 7:9-10).

     Indeed, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5:12).

Click here to get your copy of “A Glorious Sacrifice” (only $0.99)

Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
www.devotionalwriter.com

P.S. Coming soon: “Battling Sexual Temptations and Sins: Overcoming through God’s Word and Spirit.”

What we believe about Jesus is vital, both temporally and eternally. Our faith, though, shouldn’t be a mere mental ascent–agreement. It should be a wholehearted trust.

And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God

John 1:34

Both John the Baptist and John the apostle had one main goal: to testify that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The ministry of John the Baptist existed to reveal Jesus as God’s Son: “I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel [as the Son of God]” (John 1:31).

     John the apostle gave us the reason for writing his gospel: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).

     That same goal is also true for us. We are to testify that Jesus is God’s Son and that there’s genuine spiritual life through Him. Later on John would write: “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12).

Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
www.devotionalwriter.com

P.S. Coming soon: “Battling Sexual Temptations and Sins: Overcoming Through God’s Word and Spirit.” You can find out more at www.thegloryofchrist.com/overcoming

For those who were part of the book launch of “A Glorious Sacrifice,” I greatly appreciate if you take a few minutes and write an honest review of the book: You can click right here: https://goo.gl/HjYoid

     In our study of John’s gospel, we’ve come to a definition of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. What is it? While it certainly can include certain manifestations of the Spirit, it primarily refers to living a godly life, being immersed in the Spirit.

I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”

John 1:33

As we saw before, God sent John to baptize in order to reveal Jesus: “I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel” (v. 31). The far greater purpose behind John’s baptism was the revelation of Jesus. Ultimately that’s always true. Everyone and everything exists “through him and for him” (Col. 1:16).

     The Spirit descended on Jesus and remained on Him. His whole ministry was by and through the Holy Spirit: “But if it is by the Spirit of God . . .” (Matt. 12:28). God’s Spirit was the active Person throughout His life.

     Since Jesus did not come for Himself but for His people, even so with Him receiving the Spirit. It was to make His people partakers of the Holy Spirit. Jesus obtained Ezekiel’s promise: “And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Ezek. 36:27).

     That’s the essence of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The word baptism means immersion It means to be so immersed with the Holy Spirit that we fulfill Ezekiel’s promise, walking in genuine obedience to God. Since there’s no perfect obedience in this life, the experience of Ezekiel’s promise will be partial. However, when we’re glorified, we’ll experience this promise to the fullest.

Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer

P.S. Coming Soon: “Battling Sexual Temptations and Sins: Overcoming Through God’s Word and Spirit.” You can find out more at www.devotionalwriter.com

As we continue our study in John’s gospel, we see our desperate need for the Holy Spirit. Just like Jesus lived a life of dependence on God’s Spirit, even so we are to live in such dependence.

And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.

John 1:32

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were (are!) fully involved in our salvation. Jesus’ baptism is one of the occasions where we see the tri-unity of the Godhead. Matthew wrote: “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’” (Matt. 3:16-17).

     Throughout His live Jesus expressed His dependence: “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing” (John 5:19). In another place He said: “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matt. 12:28). As the Son of Man, there was a genuine, real dependence on the Spirit for everything. If that was the case with Him, how much more with us! We need the same Spirit in and through our lives.

     As we’ll see in the next verse, the Father had given John a sign: “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit” (John 1:32). The Father set His seal upon His Son through giving Him “the Spirit without measure” (John 3:34). When we’re united to Jesus by faith, we’ll also partake of the fullness of the Spirit of Christ.

Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
www.devotionalwriter.com

P.S. Coming soon! The release of “Battling Sexual Temptations and Sins: Overcoming Through God’s Word and Spirit.” You can find out more at my author’s website: www.devotionalwriter.com

As we continue in our study of John’s gospel, we’ve come to a vital issue. What do we believe about Jesus? John’s gospel is known as the gospel of belief. He consistently stresses faith in Jesus as the vital part of our lives … and eternity.

This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me.”

John 1:30

When John saw Jesus, he saw Him for who He is—God. While John was the older one (by about six months), he knew that Jesus ranks infinitely higher. He came as a witness to consistently testify of His divinity. That’s the main issue!

     It’s only when we believe that Jesus is “the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16) that we can be eternally blessed. If Jesus isn’t God, our faith and witness are worthless. However, if Jesus is indeed God than our faith in Him is “more precious than gold that perishes” (1 Peter 1:7).

     Do we see Jesus for who He is and relate to Him accordingly? Do we deeply realize that He ranks infinitely higher than everyone and everything? Our lives will give witness whether or not we truly believe that.

Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
Author of “A Glorious Sacrifice“

P.S. If you’ve been blessed by the recent book launch of “A Glorious Sacrifice,” I will greatly appreciate your honest review at Amazon. You can click right here to leave your review.

P.P.S. Coming soon: “Battling Sexual Temptations and Sins – Overcoming Through God’s Word and Spirit.” You can check it out here: www.thegloryofchrist.com/overcoming